# Free Claude AI API keys and credits for agentic coding & vibe coding for developers.

> Source: <https://gist.github.com/Soheel-1/3aa528f0a40576a9015c157f27b8f70c>
> Published: 2026-08-29 02:21:48+00:00

Last Updated: August 29, 2026| For developers testing Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, and other AI models

Looking for **free Claude API credits** or a **low-cost AI API gateway**?

[→ Claim $120 free TabiToken credits here (referral link)](https://tabitoken.com/sign-up?aff=vHpI)

**$120 signup credit**(vs. $100 older offer)**$20 per referral reward**(share & earn)- Works with
**Kilo Code**,** Claude Code**,** GitHub Copilot**, and** any OpenAI-compatible client** - Best for: Testing, development, AI coding experiments

**TabiToken** (branded as **TaBiAI**) is an **AI API gateway and model routing service** designed for developers who want to:

✅ Test multiple AI models without switching clients

✅ Use **Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, DeepSeek, Qwen, Llama** through one API

✅ Get free testing credits before spending money

✅ Integrate with popular AI coding tools (Kilo Code, VS Code extensions, GitHub Copilot)

✅ Monitor usage and costs across multiple models

Think of it as a **unified dashboard** that lets you route API calls to different AI ecosystems while maintaining an OpenAI-compatible interface.

| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
Type |
AI API gateway / unified model router |
Free signup credit |
$120 (via referral link) |
Referral reward |
$20 per successful referral |
Models supported |
Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, DeepSeek, Qwen, Llama, others |
API compatibility |
OpenAI-compatible `/v1/chat/completions` + Anthropic-compatible routes |
Best for |
Testing, development, AI coding workflows |
Caution |
Third-party gateway = additional security boundary |

[Get $120 free TabiToken credits → click here](https://tabitoken.com/sign-up?aff=vHpI)

This is the referral signup link you must use to receive the $120 credit offer (older public posts mention $100, but the current referral promo is $120).

Follow TabiToken's account creation flow:

**Option A:** Email + password**Option B:** Continue with GitHub (recommended for developers to get $120 Free Credits)

Current community reports indicate:

- TabiToken may require a
**GitHub account that's at least 1–1.5 years old** for verification - This is anti-abuse protection and may change
- Use your own legitimate account; do not buy/rent/share accounts

After signup, check your **TabiToken dashboard** or **wallet section**:

- You should see
**$120 credit**(not the old $100) - If you see a different amount, it may have changed—contact support to confirm eligibility

- Go to
**API Keys** section in your dashboard - Click
**Create New Key** - Give it a descriptive name (e.g.,
`kilo-code-testing`

) - Copy and
**store it securely**(never share or commit to Git)

- Check TabiToken's dashboard for available models (Claude, GPT-4, etc.)
- Copy the
**Base URL** for your chosen model - Copy the exact
**Model ID**(don't guess—copy exactly)

**Example:**

```
Base URL: https://api.tabitoken.com/v1
Model: claude-3-5-sonnet (or whatever TabiToken provides)
```

Connect your API key to a tool (Kilo Code, Claude Code, etc.) and test with non-sensitive data.

**Community reports confirm:** TabiToken pays **$20 for each successful referral**.

- Share your referral link:
`https://tabitoken.com/sign-up?aff=vHpI`

- When someone signs up through your link and gets credited, you earn
**$20** - Rewards appear in your TabiToken wallet
- Exact payout rules and limits may vary

- Reddit: r/ChatGPT, r/OpenAI, r/CodingHelp, r/DevTools
- Dev communities: Dev.to, Indie Hackers, Discord servers
- Your blog/newsletter
- Social: Twitter/X, LinkedIn
- AI forums and Slack communities

**Why Kilo Code?** It's the most straightforward because it has native OpenAI-compatible provider support.

- Kilo Code installed in VS Code
- TabiToken account with API key + base URL + model ID

-
**Open Kilo Code Settings**- Click the Kilo Code icon in VS Code sidebar
- Select
**Settings**(gear icon)

-
**Navigate to Providers**- Go to the
**Providers** tab - Click
**Add Provider** or**Custom Provider**

- Go to the
-
**Configure Custom Provider****Provider Name:**`TabiToken`

(or any name you want)**Provider Type:**`OpenAI Compatible`

**Base URL:** Paste your TabiToken base URL (example:`https://api.tabitoken.com/v1`

)**API Key:** Paste your TabiToken API key

-
**Set Model**- Kilo will auto-detect available models, or
- Manually enter the exact model ID from TabiToken (example:
`claude-opus-5`

)

-
**Save & Test**- Click
**Save** - Create a small test file
- Ask Kilo to explain a simple function or generate a test
- If it works, you're connected!

- Click

```
Provider Name: TabiToken
API Type: OpenAI Compatible
Base URL: https://api.tabitoken.com/v1
API Key: sk-xyz... (your TabiToken key)
Model: claude-opus-5
```

| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
Invalid API Key error |
Check for extra spaces, copy key exactly from dashboard |
Model Not Found |
Use the exact model ID from TabiToken (don't guess) |
Connection timeout |
Verify base URL is correct; check if `/v1` endpoint is needed |
Tool calling not working |
Confirm the model supports function calling; some models on TabiToken may vary |

**Important:** Claude Code is built for Anthropic's API, so this only works if TabiToken provides an **Anthropic-compatible route** (not just OpenAI-compatible).

**Check TabiToken's dashboard:** Look for an Anthropic-compatible endpoint or base URL.

- Claude Code installed (CLI)
- TabiToken account with Anthropic-compatible endpoint details
- Terminal/PowerShell access

**Mac/Linux:**

```
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://api.tabitoken.com/v1"
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="YOUR_TABITOKEN_API_KEY"
export ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-opus-5"

claude
```

**Windows PowerShell:**

```
$env:ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://api.tabitoken.com/v1"
$env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="YOUR_TABITOKEN_API_KEY"
$env:ANTHROPIC_MODEL="claude-opus-5"

claude
```

`ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL`

: Where Claude Code should send requests`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`

: Your TabiToken API key`ANTHROPIC_MODEL`

: Which model Claude Code should use

⚠️ **Protocol matters:** If your TabiToken endpoint is only **OpenAI-compatible**, Claude Code won't work with it. Verify TabiToken supports Anthropic API format before trying this setup.

| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
API Key invalid |
Ensure no extra spaces; verify key works in TabiToken dashboard first |
Connection refused |
Check base URL; test with `curl` first |
Model not recognized |
Make sure exact model name matches TabiToken's offering |
Protocol error |
Verify TabiToken endpoint is Anthropic-compatible, not just OpenAI-compatible |

GitHub now supports **Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)** for Copilot, including OpenAI-compatible endpoints. TabiToken works great here.

**Prerequisites:**

- GitHub Copilot CLI installed
- TabiToken OpenAI-compatible API key + base URL + model ID

**Mac/Linux:**

```
export COPILOT_PROVIDER_BASE_URL="https://api.tabitoken.com/v1"
export COPILOT_PROVIDER_TYPE="openai"
export COPILOT_PROVIDER_API_KEY="YOUR_TABITOKEN_API_KEY"
export COPILOT_MODEL="claude-opus-5"

copilot
```

**Windows PowerShell:**

```
$env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_BASE_URL="https://api.tabitoken.com/v1"
$env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_TYPE="openai"
$env:COPILOT_PROVIDER_API_KEY="YOUR_TABITOKEN_API_KEY"
$env:COPILOT_MODEL="claude-opus-5"

copilot
```

**What Each Variable Does**

`COPILOT_PROVIDER_BASE_URL`

: TabiToken's API endpoint`COPILOT_PROVIDER_TYPE`

: Must be`openai`

for OpenAI-compatible providers`COPILOT_PROVIDER_API_KEY`

: Your TabiToken API key`COPILOT_MODEL`

: Model ID (must support tool calling + streaming)

- Open
**GitHub Copilot app** - Go to
**Settings → Model providers** - Click
**Add provider** - Fill in:
**Display name:**`TabiToken`

**Base URL:**`https://api.tabitoken.com/v1`

**API Key:** Your TabiToken key

- Click
**Save** - Open a repository and select TabiToken from the model picker

- Model must support
**tool calling (function calling)** - Model must support
**streaming** - Context window of
**128K tokens** recommended for best performance - Model must be compatible with OpenAI Chat Completions API

| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
Provider not found in model picker |
Ensure base URL and API key are correct; restart the app |
Tool calling fails |
Check that the model ID supports function calling |
Streaming timeout |
Verify connection; test with smaller prompts first |
Invalid credentials |
Copy API key without spaces; verify in TabiToken dashboard |

A third-party AI gateway adds an extra layer between your application and the underlying AI provider. Here's how to use it safely:

✅ **DO:**

- Test with
**local or disposable projects** first - Use
**synthetic or sample data** for early experiments - Store API keys in
**environment variables**, never in code - Use a
`.gitignore`

file to exclude`.env`

files from Git - Rotate API keys after testing phase
- Review TabiToken's
**privacy and retention policies** independently

❌ **DON'T:**

- Send
**confidential source code** through a third-party gateway - Include
**customer data, passwords, or PII** in prompts - Share
**database credentials, API secrets**, or authentication tokens - Store API keys in
**Git repositories** or**frontend code** - Paste secrets into
**prompts or logs** - Assume third-party infrastructure has the same security as direct providers

```
1. Create a new, local project folder
2. Generate a test/throwaway API key in TabiToken
3. Add it to a .env file (excluded from Git)
4. Load it via environment variable in your code
5. Test with synthetic data (made-up customer records, fake credentials)
6. Verify the model and protocol work correctly
7. Rotate the key after testing
8. Only then consider production or sensitive data
.env
.env.local
*.api_key
.DS_Store
node_modules/
js
require('dotenv').config();

const apiKey = process.env.TABITOKEN_API_KEY;
const baseUrl = process.env.TABITOKEN_BASE_URL;
const model = process.env.TABITOKEN_MODEL;

// Use these variables in your API calls
```

| Factor | TabiToken | Direct Claude API | Direct OpenAI API |
|---|---|---|---|
Free credits |
$120 (signup) |
Free tier limited | Free tier limited |
Setup time |
~5 min | ~5 min | ~5 min |
Multiple models |
✅ All in one place | ❌ Claude only | ❌ OpenAI only |
Cost to test |
Lowest (free credits) | Medium | Medium |
Security |
Third-party layer | Direct | Direct |
Best for |
Comparison testing | Production Claude use | Production OpenAI use |
API compatibility |
OpenAI + Anthropic | Anthropic Messages API | OpenAI Chat Completions |
Referral rewards |
$20 per sign-up | None | None |

**$120 free credits** let you test extensively before spending money**Unified dashboard** for managing multiple AI model providers**Referral rewards**($20 per sign-up) can earn you free credits** Supports multiple tools:**Kilo Code, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, custom clients** Developer-friendly**API documentation and setup guides** OpenAI-compatible**, so it works with popular libraries and tools- Great for
**cost-conscious developers** and**startup experimentation**

**Third-party layer** adds complexity and a security boundary**Promotions can change**(the $120 offer may expire or decrease)** Model availability varies**depending on TabiToken's agreements with providers** Requires configuration**for each tool (Kilo, Copilot, Claude Code)** Not suitable for production**with sensitive customer data** Relay latency**may be slightly higher than direct API calls** Rate limits and quotas**depend on TabiToken's infrastructure, not the underlying provider

**Use TabiToken if you:**

- Want to
**test Claude, GPT, Gemini, and others** without paying - Are building a
**local tool or prototype** - Want to
**compare AI models** for your use case - Need to
**save on development costs** while testing - Use
**Kilo Code, Claude Code, or GitHub Copilot** and want cheaper testing - Don't have sensitive customer or business data in your experiments

**Skip TabiToken if you:**

- Only work with
**one model**(go direct to that provider instead) - Need
**production-grade infrastructure** with guaranteed uptime - Handle
**confidential customer data** or source code - Require
**direct support** from the AI provider (not a third party) - Want
**zero additional latency**

**Scenario:** You want to test if Claude or GPT-4 is better for your coding tasks.

**With TabiToken:** Connect both models through one dashboard, use the same testing setup (Kilo Code), and compare output quality.

**Cost:** $120 free credits covers weeks of comparison testing.

**Scenario:** You want to try both GitHub Copilot (with TabiToken's backend) and Kilo Code with Claude.

**With TabiToken:** BYOK setup lets you test Copilot without paying, and Kilo works immediately.

**Cost:** Free testing for both tools.

**Scenario:** You're building an AI-powered tool and need to find the cheapest, best-performing model.

**With TabiToken:** Test multiple model providers quickly, gather performance data, and pick the winner before committing to costs.

**Cost:** $120 credits can cover 2–4 weeks of heavy testing.

**Cause:** Key not yet activated, extra spaces, or copy error.

**Fix:**

- Wait 5–10 minutes after account creation
- Go to TabiToken dashboard → API Keys
- Copy the key again, removing any extra spaces
- Test by visiting TabiToken's API test page (if available)

**Cause:** Account eligibility (GitHub age), verification issue, or old promotion.

**Fix:**

- Check dashboard under
**Billing** or**Credits** - If empty, contact TabiToken support with your email
- Verify GitHub account is linked (if required)
- Promotions can vary; confirm what's available for your region/account

**Cause:** Wrong model ID, or TabiToken removed that model.

**Fix:**

- Go to TabiToken dashboard → Models or API docs
- Copy the
**exact model ID** they list - Update Kilo Code settings with the correct ID
- If model not listed, it may be deprecated; try another

**Cause:** Incorrect environment variable names or base URL format.

**Fix:**

- Double-check variable names (case-sensitive):
`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`

(not`ANTHROPIC_KEY`

)`COPILOT_PROVIDER_BASE_URL`

(not just`BASE_URL`

)

- Verify base URL includes
`/v1`

if required:`https://api.tabitoken.com/v1`

- Reload terminal after setting variables
- Test with
`echo $VARIABLE_NAME`

to confirm it's set

**Cause:** TabiToken's servers overloaded, network issue, or model processing delay.

**Fix:**

- Wait a few minutes and retry
- Try a different, simpler model
- Check TabiToken's status page (if available)
- Check your internet connection
- Reduce prompt complexity for initial tests

**Yes, for developers who want to:**

- Test
**free** before paying for AI APIs - Compare
**multiple AI models** affordably - Use
**Kilo Code, Claude Code, or GitHub Copilot** with cheaper backend costs - Experiment with
**AI coding** without breaking the budget

**The $120 referral credit is real and generous.** Once used for legitimate testing, you'll understand whether you need Claude directly, OpenAI directly, or a multi-model setup like TabiToken.

**The $20 referral reward** makes it worth sharing with other developers—it's a win-win.

**The biggest risk:** Accidentally sending sensitive data through a third-party gateway. Use the **safe testing workflow** above, start with local/synthetic data, and you'll be fine.

-
(referral link required for offer)[Claim $120 credits here](https://tabitoken.com/sign-up?aff=vHpI) - Complete registration (use a GitHub account for faster verification)
- Check dashboard for $120 credit (may take 5–10 min)
- Create and secure your API key
- Choose your first setup (Kilo Code is easiest)
- Test with a small, local project + synthetic data
- Share your referral link and earn $20 per sign-up

```
https://tabitoken.com/sign-up?aff=vHpI
```

Drop this link in Reddit threads, Discord communities, Dev.to, or your own blog. Every developer who signs up gives you $20 in credits.

This guide reflects current community reports and TabiToken's public documentation as of **August 2026**. Promotional amounts, eligibility, and features can change. Always verify in your own account after signup.

**Need help?** Contact TabiToken support directly for account-specific issues.

**Last updated:** August 29, 2026

**Referral link:** [https://tabitoken.com/sign-up?aff=vHpI](https://tabitoken.com/sign-up?aff=vHpI)

**Earn:** $20 per successful referral